VOL. XV.] NOTES. 189 



impossible, as the " contents " were very much aUve, the 

 remaining half-dozen hatching out the following day. 



Although I visited this nesting-site for some years following, 

 I did not again find it occupied. W. Stewart. 



BEWICK'S SWANS IN CUMBERLAND AND 

 SHROPSHIRE. 



On the morning of the 17th of November, 1921, a park-keeper 

 informed me that two Wild Swans— he thought Whoopers 

 (C cygnus) — were on the River Eden, near the old race- 

 course at Carlisle. I immediately went to see them, but 

 found instead of Whoopers, two of the smaller species (C. b. 

 hewickii). We had Whoopers at the same place for seven 

 consecutive years, 1904-1910, following the advent of an 

 immature female which finally brought not only its mate 

 and offspring, but others. 



It is interesting to be able to record a visit, the first, of 

 Bewick's Swan to Carlisle, although it is an almost regular 

 annual visitor to the Solway. L. E. Hope. 



On 24th October, 1921, a flock of Bewick's Swan {Cygnus 

 hewickii) appeared on the mere at Ellesmere towards nightfall. 

 They spent the night there, and early the following morning 

 Messrs. Brownlow Tower and R. W. H. Hodges were able to 

 watch them through glasses for over an hour before they 

 took wing and flew away in a northerly direction, whence they 

 had come. Enquiry elicited the fact that they had also been 

 seen here about six days before. A similar flock visited 

 Ellesmere 20th December, 1899, and stayed three days ; 

 some remained till 4th January, The waterfowl on these 

 meres are protected. There are a number of semi-domesti- 

 cated Canadian Geese. These are regularly fed on Indian 

 corn, etc. One frosty morning in December 1899, when the 

 Geese were fed, the Bewick's Swans walked out on to the 

 bank and fed with them ! Such was the force of example. 

 All previous occurrences of Bewick's Swan in Shropshire 

 have been in December or January. It will be noticed that 

 the present visitation began on or about i8th October — a 

 remarkably early date, and the more noteworthy since our 

 other winter visitors are late this year — the first Fieldfare I 

 have seen was a solitary bird on 27th October. 



H. E. Forrest. 



LATE NESTING OF LITTLE GREBE. 



On October 22nd, 1921, on a small lake in the grounds of 

 Kilboy, Co. Tipperary, I heard young Little Grebes {Podiceps 



